Decisions, Decisions (Brave Men Make Difficult Decisions)

"Let bravery be thy choice, but not bravado."
Menander

"What should I do?" is the question being tackled by LeBron Raymone James in the new "Rise" campaign by Nike. Men have an innate drive to be competitive. Additionally, a good number of us DO strive for greatness. But such ambitions come with a high level of pressure. "Should I really believe I've ruined my legacy?" LeBron asks himself. It's a perfect example of a question pondered by great men on a daily basis.



The LeBron Story has truly become a Sword of Damocles-like tale. Thus far LeBron has proven to be a true Dionysius-like character. Damocles couldn't handle the pressure of difficult decisions. In short, ya gotta take the good with the bad. Winners do what they want, losers do what they can.







He closes the ad with the line "Should I be what you want me to be?" LeBron has absolutely earned the title of King James. As Shakespeare put it, "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown".

Oz

Mo (Mo'Betta) & Oz (Young Euro) a.k.a. The Sophistiques

Success Is Always Within Reach (You Just Gotta Put Your Work In)

"I ain't one of the Cosbys, I ain't go to Hillman"
Kanye West

In the world of professional basketball, height is relative. At 5' tall, your chances of going pro are slim. At 6' tall, your chances greatly increase. At 6'8" tall, your chances are even better. What happen at 7'8" tall? Your chances start to decrease (a bell curve). Talent and intelligence are equally relative. The most talented and intelligent among us are NOT predisposed to be the most successful. So who is predisposed to be successful? You could easily be. Malcolm Gladwell gives credence to the "10,000 Hour Rule" in Outliers.



The "10,000 Hour Rule" states that if you practice any specific task for a total of 10,000 hours, you will develop a high level of expertise. At a reasonable pace, that's about 2 to 10 years. So imagine, mastering the guitar, mastering chess or becoming an acclaimed author (it's all within your reach). The possibilities are endless. Most of us have already experienced the 10,000 Hour Rule in the course of mastering driving. Scientifically, as we repeat a task over and over, our brain creates neuron shortcuts for the task (this is how we build our expertise).



Gladwell explores Bill Gates, The Beatles, Christopher Langan, J. Robert Oppenheimer as well as himself in presenting support for the "10,000 Hour Rule". Gladwell's "easy to understand" writing style makes this seemingly complicated theory very accessible to the masses. Within the pages of Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell will change your life.

Oz

Mo (Mo'Betta) & Oz (Young Euro) a.k.a. The Sophistiques